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The University of Massachusetts Amherst is expected to confer degrees to over 7,050 undergraduate students and more than 2,300 graduate students during three days of special events to mark its 156^th Commencement Friday, May 15 – Sunday, May 17. The undergraduate Class of 2026—ranging in age from 20 to 78—represents 48 U.S. states and 70 countries around the world.
 

Undergraduate Ceremonies

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the main Commencement Ceremony for the undergraduate Class of 2026, which will be held rain or shine Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m., at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on the UMass Amherst campus.

Presiding over the ceremony will be Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El Khalick. His opening remarks will be followed by those from UMass President Marty Meehan and UMass Board of Trustees member Jose Delgado ’18, who will present greetings from the BOT to the graduating class. 

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Kimberly S. Budd, the 38^th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, will present the keynote address at the 156th Commencement. She will also receive an honorary degree to celebrate her long and distinguished record of public service.

In addition to Budd, UMass Amherst will confer an honorary degree to Eric Swanson ’82, whose career spans foundational scientific research, applied engineering, entrepreneurship and industry. His innovations and contributions have helped advance a wide range of technologies, products and infrastructure used worldwide, which collectively have had a significant positive impact on society. 

Distinguished Achievement Awards will also be presented during the ceremony to Professor Emeritus of Computer Science Andrew G. Barto, who received the Turing Award—the “Nobel Prize in Computing”—in 2024; and Michael G. Hluchyj ’76 and Theresa M. Hluchyj ’77, an exceptionally engaged UMass Amherst couple whose leadership and philanthropy have fundamentally shaped the university’s interdisciplinary innovation.

Shhreya Anand, of Bangalore, India, who graduates from UMass Amherst with dual degrees in computer science and math, will speak on behalf of the undergraduate Class of 2026. Anand received the Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award and Outstanding Leadership Award in 2025 and was invited to join the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for ranking in the top 10% of her class.

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The university will also honor the exemplary achievements, initiative and leadership of 11 of its most talented and accomplished undergraduates with the 21^st Century Leaders Award. Chosen in recognition of their strong academic records and exemplary achievements, the winners of the $1,000 award from the UMass Amherst Alumni Association further distinguished themselves through intellectual accomplishments and will be recognized for the prestige and honor they bring to UMass Amherst, both as undergraduates and as alumni joining the larger community.

In addition, two students will be recognized as Welch Scholars for having received full funding for their UMass careers, funded by the GE Foundation. The award is named in honor of alumnus Jack Welch, who drew upon his UMass Amherst undergraduate education to forge a legendary career as a business leader, serving for two decades as chairman and CEO of General Electric.

Entrance to the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony is free and tickets are not required. Shuttle buses will transport guests from parking lots to the stadium. Guests should plan to arrive on campus at least an hour prior to the ceremony to ensure ample time to park and arrive at the stadium via a shuttle bus or by walking. Services are available for guests with limited mobility and other disabilities. The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at approximately 7 p.m.

Throughout Commencement Weekend, senior recognition ceremonies for individual schools and colleges will take place around campus, where undergraduates will have their names called and cross the stage.

The Stockbridge School of Agriculture Commencement Ceremony for associate degree recipients will be held Saturday, May 16, at 3 p.m., in Bowker Auditorium.
 

Graduate Ceremonies

The Master’s and Education Specialist Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15, at 9 a.m. at the Mullins Center.

The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at approximately noon. Guest tickets are required for this ceremony.

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Mansi Maheshwari of Gwalior, India, graduating with a master’s degree in computer science, will speak on behalf of the student body. The first in her extended family to study abroad, Maheshwari earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington and worked for two years as a software engineer in Seattle before beginning her graduate studies.

The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony for the Class of 2026 was held on Saturday, May 9 at the Mullins Center. Speaking on behalf of the class was Ogechi Vivian Nwadiaru, of Awo-Omamma, Imo State, Nigeria, who received her doctorate in industrial engineering and operations research. 

For those unable to attend the Undergraduate or Graduate Commencement ceremonies in-person, each event will be streamed live on the Commencement site.

Throughout the weekend, the public is advised to plan for heavy traffic, delays and some street closures around campus.

Full details about Commencement Weekend, including the complete schedule of festivities, can be found at umass.edu/commencement.